


Love is Both

by Ceares



Category: Entourage
Genre: A/U, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-12
Updated: 2012-04-12
Packaged: 2017-11-03 12:44:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/381465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ceares/pseuds/Ceares
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once upon a time, Eric and Vince were best friends. Then they weren't. Eric thought he knew exactly how he felt about Vincent Chase, but their highschool reunion changes everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love is Both

_Eric Murphy was five years old when his parents moved next door to the Chases.They had a lot of kids, all dark haired and bronzed from the summer sun, running around wild in a way Eric and his sister never got to do, and they were really loud, but Mrs. Chase smiled at them from across the street and brought cookies to his mom. Plus, they had a kid his age which was the best because the last place they'd lived had just been grown ups.The kid had curly dark hair like the rest of them and eyes that changed colors. E didn't know boys could be pretty--not just 'handsome little men'--but this kid was. E hoped they would be best friends. The kid--Vince, already had a best friend, Turtle, but that was cool because everybody knew two best friends were better than one._

 

%%%%%%%%%%

 

Turtle was stretched out on the sofa when Eric got home from work. He was puffing a joint and playing GTA on Kit's Xbox.

"Carla put your ass out again?"

He shrugged, never taking his eyes off the screen. "She's on the rag and being a total bitch."

Eric threw his briefcase into the nearest chair. "Right, that's it and not cause you're smoking again."

"Hey, it's not like she don't know who she married. Ten years, you'd think she'd be over that shit."

True, and they went through this so often it was rote by now. Every six months or so, Carla would get on his case, Turtle would promise to quit, he'd last about a week. Carla would kick him out and he'd come crash with Eric. After a week or so, she'd miss him; they'd make up and then start the whole thing over again in a few months. Not that Eric was in a position to judge. They'd managed that for ten years when his perfect, never had an argument, agreed on everything marriage had lasted less than three years. If it wasn't for Kit it would be like it had never happened.

Eric changed into sweat pants and a t-shirt, padding barefoot back into the living room to plop down next to Turtle. He reached out and pinched the joint, taking a deep hit. The irony of the whole thing was, Turtle usually couldn't smoke in the house when he was at Eric's so he actually cut down on his usage anyway.

"You know you're gonna have to fumigate in here before Kit gets back."

"No worries." He held a bottle of Febreeze he'd tucked next to him on the sofa. "Hey, we got an invite to the class reunion. You're going right?"

"Probably not." Pretty much the only people from high school Eric had any interest in seeing, he still hung out with.

"Come on man. It'll be fun. Ma says she saw Mrs. Chase and that Vince is supposed to be there."

Eric wasn't surprised to feel his stomach clench--even after all these years, just the mention of the Chases was enough to do it. It it had been nearly impossible to avoid hearing about them constantly when he still lived in the neighborhood and Vincent's career was taking off. It was one of the reasons he'd been happy to get out of there.

"Then I definitely won't be there."

Turtle paused the game, frowning over at Eric. "Oh come on, E! You're not still holding on to that feud shit, are you?"

Eric shrugged and took another hit, letting the acrid smoke burn it's way down his lungs, to avoid answering.

 

%%%%%%%%%%

 

Eric always went over to his mother's for Sunday dinner. It was one of his mother's few concessions to any ideas of traditional anything.Their family was small, with him divorced and his sister Kate single. So far, Kit was the only grandchild, something his mother bemoaned regularly, so her one rule was if you could come on Sunday, you did. Even his ex, Allison, still did when she was in town. His mother always said marriage might not make a family, but divorce didn't have to break one either. She called it 'reshaped'. Eric was glad that Kit didn't have to go through the same thing he did after his parents divorced. That confusing feeling of split loyalties. Of course he'd been nearly fourteen when his parents split up and Kit had been just two. Eric didn't even know if she remembered him and Allison together. His mother had always felt guilty about her own divorce and she'd done everything she could to help when he and Alli split up.

They were still eating when she handed him the white envelope. "They sent the invitation for your reunion here. I guess this is the last address they have. I opened it by accident." She shrugged. "I see your name and the school and I think you're in trouble again." She was laughing when she said it, but Eric couldn't help but feel a twinge of residual guilt. He'd been a pain in the ass for most of his school years. That was one of the reasons he worked so hard now, to make up to his mother for the way he'd behaved.

"That's fine, Ma. I'm not going anyway."

His mother frowned. "Honey, you should go. All you do is work. It'll be a chance for you to catch up with people."

His mom had never understood why he moved out of the neighborhood in the first place and she certainly wouldn’t understand why he had no interest in catching up either. "Ma, really..." He stopped at the guilty look she flashed him. "What did you do?"

She bit her lip. "I sort of accepted for you."

"Ma!"

"All you do all summer long is work and mope around missing Kit, and it's not healthy. You're going to have a heart attack before you're thirty."

His mother was stubborn and sneaky. She wouldn't let him pay her back for the ticket money. She knew he wouldn't waste her money even if he'd waste his own, pretty much forcing him to go.

 

%%%%%%%%%%

_The dance was totally lame. A third of the class had already snuck out of the gym under the less than watchful eyes of the chaperones. Johnny had given them half his six pack and a joint and Eric and Vince were hanging out behind the temporary buildings with Carla and Turtle, passing the cans and the joint back and forth. It wasn't much to share amongst the four of them, but fortunately it didn't take much to get them high._

_Carla and Turtle started to make out and Eric was uncomfortably aware of Vince next to him, pressed up against him so that their arms and legs touched. He was hot in in all the places where they bumped up against each other. They watched for another minute, and Eric was already squirming when Vince leaned over and whispered in his ear._

_"Let's get out of here."_

_The feel of Vince's hot breath against the shell of his ear had him embarrassingly hard and he struggled not to show it as he stood up. He was glad there were enough shadows to hide the bulge in his pants._

_The music drifted to them faintly. It was Katrina and the Waves now. Vince pushed him against a wall in between the buildings and kissed him, mouth both sour from the beer and weed and still a little sticky sweet from the fruit punch at the dance. Tiny jolts of pleasure shivered up and down Eric's spine and they kissed and kissed, pressed together, rocking against each other in the dark._

%%%%%%%%%%

Eric figured most of the people at the reunion would be all about Vince, and he wasn't wrong. Still he was surprised to find he was having a pretty good time. Not that he was going to admit it to them, but Turtle and his ma were right. He did need to go out more or, you know, any. When Kit was home he spent his spare time with her, and during the summers, he found himself working late most evenings and going in on weekends with no complaint. And yeah, it was how he'd made regional VP in three years but he wasn't even thirty and somewhere along the way he'd turned into a 'suit'.

 

Vince had brought a date--Eric thought he recognized her from some TV show that Kit liked to watch. She was pretty and seemed friendly but she and Vince weren't exactly hanging off each other. Not that Vince's love life was any of his business. Nothing about Vincent Chase had been his business for years, but he was surprised to find the anger he was sure he still felt towards Vince wasn't there anymore. What was left was complicated. Vince was more beautiful than he'd been as a teenager, age honing his features to annoyingly Adonis-like standards and if Eric wasn't still truly angry, he was glad there was enough residue of animosity left to keep him from embarrassing himself. As it was, he found his eyes following Vince the whole night, and it seemed Vince's eyes were on him as well even though they managed to avoid each other quite well as they moved around the room. Eric ignored Turtle's less than subtle hints and head gestures to go talk to Vince. Turtle had somehow managed to stay friends with them both, the bond between him and Vince only slacking when Vince had moved to LA, and he and Carla bounced back and forth between Eric and Vince's groups much like they had in high school.

 

A couple of hours in, after dinner, people began to drift off into smaller groups. Eric found himself wandering off down the halls of the school. In some ways it felt like it was just yesterday they were here and in others it felt a lot longer than ten years. He'd had no specific plans when he graduated other than college because it had been drummed into his head from the time he learned to read. He had known he wanted a family, though, and if you'd asked him then where he'd be ten years later, he'd have told you somewhere with a wife and a couple of kids. He wouldn't trade Kit for anything, but it was hard to admit that he'd failed at the one thing he wanted most to be successful at.

 

The gym was open and empty, and Eric slipped in, grabbing one of the basketballs from a net against the wall. He bounced the ball lightly then took his shot, watching as the ball rolled along the rim before falling into the basket. Not 'nothing but net' but still not bad. He'd always been good from the free throw line, but his dreams of a career in basketball never made it past the eighth grade, when the guys around him shot up in inches and Eric looked at his parents and grandparents and realized he wasn't going to go much further, height-wise.

%%%%%%%%%%

 

_"Get your fucking hands off my sister!"_

_Eric grabbed Vince and yanked him away from Katie, shoving him back up against the lockers. Vince stared at him, and then grinned that smug smile that made Eric want to punch him._

_"Hey, she kissed me. I guess Chase men really are irresistible to the Murphys."_

_And then he did punch him, and the solid smack of flesh against flesh was so satisfying, he did it again. Vince tackled him and they were on the floor, rolling around, Vince's long limbs entangled with his. There were screams and shouts all around them and then hands were yanking on his arms, pulling them apart. Mr. Long, the principal, showed up and the chaperones shooed everybody back into the gym except the three of them. Eric could see Turtle and Carla lurking in the door._

_"That's enough! If it wasn't for the fact that there's only a week of school left, I’d have the two of you suspended. As it is, neither of you is walking across the stage."_

_Katie was crying, and Vince was leaning sullenly against the wall, holding a towel to his bloody nose. Eric could feel his eye swelling and knew he'd have a shiner soon, something else to add to the tally against the Chases. As it was, his ma was going to be heartbroken that he wouldn't be marching with everybody else, and later E would care, he really would. Right now he was still flush with anger. In his head, he could see Vince with Katie pressed up against him, long slender fingers tangled in her red hair as they kissed, and if Mr. Long wasn't there, he'd be tempted to go at Vince again._

_Vince shrugged "Whatever, I'm outta here anyway." And he threw the towel on the floor and left, ignoring Mr. Long calling after him. Mr. Long turned his thwarted frustration on them._

_"I'm calling your parents and the two of you are not moving until they get here, got it?"_

_"Yes, sir." Katie answered through sniffles._

_"Eric?"_

_He nodded. "Yes, sir."_

_"You're such an asshole, Eric!" Katie spoke vehemently under her breath after Mr. Long had left. He heard her, but he wasn’t really paying attention, eyes on the red-stained towel on the floor._

_That was the last time he saw Vince for over a year until he turned on the TV one day and there he was, in a commercial. E was angry at himself that his first thought was relief that Vince's nose had healed with no damage. He turned the channel, and from then on, he made it a point to avoid sight or mention of Vincent Chase._

 

%%%%%%%%%%

 

Eric retrieved the ball and walked back to the free throw line, glancing around when he heard the gym door open. Like he'd conjured him up, Vince was standing there staring at him. The ball dropped unnoticed and bounced along the floor toward Vince.

Vince leaned down and picked it up and tossed it to Eric with a sheepish grin. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay. I imagine you're looking for a place to get away from the adoring crowds." Eric was proud that there was only the slightest bit of sarcasm laced in there.

Vince walked over and stood in front of him, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Actually, I was looking for you. Turtle said he thought he saw you come this way."

 

"Why?" Eric gripped the ball, keeping it between them almost defensively.

Vince looked around the gym, then back at Eric and shrugged. "I don't know. Nostalgia, maybe."

"Most people want to see their friends at their reunion."

"We used to be friends. We used to be best friends." It was practically a whisper, and the sadness and longing in it made Eric's throat tight.

"Vince."

"Never mind, it was just ... nostalgia, like I said." He gave Eric a bright, phony smile.

"I don't know what you want from me. We're not twelve anymore." Eric dropped the ball, not noticing as it rolled away from them.

"No, because when you were twelve you weren't an asshole."

"Oh, fuck you!" Eric was a mature, responsible adult with a kid. Something about Vince brought back that sixteen year old with the uncontrollable temper with a vengeance, though, and when he reached out and shoved Vince, his hands curled into fists unconsciously, waiting for retaliation.

But they weren't sixteen, and when Vince grabbed him it wasn't to fight. Their mouths met hard enough for their teeth to collide painfully. The sharp pain just spurred them on, fifteen years of emotion exploding between them as they kissed hungrily.

 

Vince pulled away from him, wiping blood from his mouth where Eric's teeth had cut into his lip. "I suppose you're going to punch me for that kiss, too."

He actually flinched a little when Eric reached out, until he realized Eric was pulling him closer. It was like a match to dry paper. Eric tangled his fingers in Vince's curls tight enough to hurt and took his mouth again. One of them, and Eric wasn't sure which, had the presence of mind to maneuver them so they were behind the bleachers instead of out on the open gym floor. It didn't hurt that the bleachers provide a solid surface for him to press Vince against.

He straddled Vince's leg, rocking against it, his own hand between them, squeezing Vince through his pants as they groaned and panted into each other's mouths. It was awkward and crazy and the hottest fucking thing Eric had done in ... ever. Eric lapped at the broken skin of Vince's lip, the coppery tang of blood a visceral reminder of all that was between them. 

 

"Jesus!" He leaned in to Vince, biting hard at his collar-bone, feeling skin, muscle and bone give way to his mouth and came with a shudder. His forehead rested against Vince's shoulder as he panted a little, trying to catch his breath.

They pulled away from each other reluctantly and staring at Vince, Eric felt like that sixteen year old again, though even as a teenager he'd never dry humped till he'd come in his pants. He was thankful that he'd never shaken his mother's old-fashioned lesson of carrying a handkerchief when he wore a suit. Vince kept his eyes glued on Eric's hands as he unzipped and did a quick clean up before passing the handkerchief to Vince. Eric didn't mind returning the favor. The sight of those long fingers dipping into the shadowed v of his zipper was riveting.

"Who's in there?"

They both froze, staring at each other in horror as their ex-principal's strident tones echoed off the walls of the gym.

"Shit!" Vince ran a hand through already disheveled hair. "What are we going to do?" It was a nearly sub-audible whisper, and Eric had to lean in close to hear him. This meant he was distracted by the heat of Vince’s body, by his scent, by his ...

"I said, who's in there!"

"Go out there."

Vince's cast a horrified expression his way. "What? No."

"Well, somebody has to go, and we can't go together."

"Why can't you?"

"Because, he always liked you better." With that, Eric took the decision out of Vince's hands, shoving him hard enough that he stumbled out from under the bleachers with a muffled curse.

Eric peeked through the bleachers, watching as Mr. Long squinted into the shadows, his eyes widening as he recognized Vince.

"Vincent Chase, is that you?"

"Yes sir, Mr. Long."

"Who is that back there with you?"

Eric's heart beat doubled for a moment before he realized one, that he wasn't sixteen any more and he couldn't really get into trouble for this, though the thought of Mr. Long telling his ma about it still made him cringe. Two, Vince wasn't crazy enough to out himself for a little minor revenge.

Vince hung his head, shrugging and glancing at Mr. Long up through his lashes. "I'd rather not say."

Eric rolled his eyes. He really did have to flirt with everybody.

Mr. Long sighed and crossed his arms, as susceptible as anybody to the Chase charm. "Fine, I probably don't want to know anyway. Take it somewhere else. This is not a brothel, son."

 

Eric slipped from behind the bleachers after Mr. Long left. They exchanged a conspiratorial grin. His eyes dropped to the already darkening spot on Vince's neck, and then he took got a good look at him. Dark curls disheveled, shirt half open, mouth swollen where Eric had nipped him. No wonder Mr. Long had known exactly what Vince had been doing, if not with whom. His mouth was suddenly dry with the desire to make Vince look even more wrecked than he already did.

He didn't know what showed in his face, but Vince's eyes darkened and he licked his lips. "We could go back to my hotel."

"What about your date?"

"I'll send the car back for her." Vince shrugged. "She's just a friend -- we share a publicist. Shauna didn't want me coming to my reunion without a date and I didn’t want to bring somebody who thought coming home with me meant something."

Eric shook his head. "No."

Vince's expression fell, and Eric fought the urge to reach out and run fingers over the swollen lips that were now pouting. "No, I mean my place is closer, besides you should probably keep a low profile."

Vince cocked a brow in amusement. And okay maybe making out in the gym at your high school reunion wasn't exactly staying in the shadows but Eric was pretty sure taking it to a hotel would be even worse. "Okay, lower."

 

%%%%%%%%%%

 

Eric woke up to the sound of the obnoxiously loud rap song Turtle had programmed as his ring-tone. "Yeah?"

"Dude! What happened to you last night?"

"Um ..."

Turtle wasn't deterred by his lack of response. "Vince disappeared right after you did. Everybody was looking for the two of you."

"Really. Huh." Eric glanced over his shoulder to where Vince was laying, long limbs sprawled across the bed, sheet draped over one thigh, revealing swathes of golden skin.

"Yeah." Turtle paused. "Hey E, you didn't do something crazy to Vince, did you?"

 _If they thought the ride home would make things less urgent, they were wrong. They didn't even make it to his bedroom the first time -- or technically second time -- though they did manage to get their clothes off, so Eric counted that as a win._.

"E!"

"What? Sorry, Turtle."

"I said, I'm not gonna have to call my cousin Leo for this am I?"

Turtle had one cousin that was maybe minorly connected to organized crime. To hear him talk though, he was practically a goodfella. It was still nice of him to offer to help bury the body though.

"No. Thanks though, Turtle."

Vince shifted, turning over toward Eric and opening his eyes with a low moan that made Eric's stomach flutter in remembrance of that moan in his ears, Vince writhing under him. He shook off the memory reluctantly, trying to pay attention to what Turtle was saying.

"What's wrong with..." Turtle trailed off. "Oh man, did you get lucky last night? Finally!" He tsked at Eric over the phone, sounding like their third grade teacher when they'd inevitably gotten into trouble again. "I swear man, when you said you were bi, I thought you'd be getting laid twice as much as the rest of us and you barely blip, even when you have the whole summer without your kid."

Eric sighed. "Turtle, come on, it's not that bad." Except when he thought about it, he couldn't remember the last time he'd been with anybody, so maybe it was that bad.

"Oh, right, hey, I'm gonna let you get back to it. I want details though man... okay not _details_ if it's a guy, but I still want to know..."

"Turtle!"

"Yeah, okay, bye, E." There was a grin in his voice as he hung up.

Eric reached over and put his phone back on the nightstand, not taking his eyes off Vince, who slid off the bed with a grin at Eric and headed toward the bathroom in all his natural glory.

Vince came back into the room and leaned against the door. Eric licked his lips as his eyes slid down Vince's form, noting the faint finger print shaped bruises on Vince's hips, the bite marks on his shoulder. "Turtle thinks I did something terrible to you."

Vince walked over to the bed and climbed in, crawling up until he straddled Eric, miles of hot, smooth skin pressing down on him. "Did you? I forget. You might have to do it again to refresh my memory."

Eric reached up and pulled Vince down and set to work.

%%%%%%%%%%

Eric pulled up in front of the Chase house. Johnny was leaning against the stair rail talking to two girls that looked barely out of high school. He rolled up his shirt sleeve and struck a pose, flexing his muscles.

Vince stuck his head out the window. "He's a married man, ladies!"

The girls giggled and Johnny flipped him the bird. Vince laughed, but Eric was abruptly reminded of how little wedding vows--theirs or anyone else's -- meant to the Chases. Something in his expression must have given his thoughts away because Vince frowned.

"I'm just kidding. Johnny would never cheat on Jacqueline. He loves her, plus she'd kick his ass. He just likes the ego stroke, you know."

Eric shrugged. "Not my business."

"I'm going to be in town for the next few weeks then I start filming Matterhorn. We should do this again." He reached down and grabbed Eric's phone from the charger and programmed his number into it. "Call me."

Eric was glad they were in a public place: they couldn't say or do too much and he could get out of there without making a complete idiot of himself. He was conflicted and confused and really too old be feeling this way, to let himself get caught up in something this complicated. Not with Kit to consider.

Vince got out of the car and closed the door. He leaned back in the window. "Just...Johnny's not my father, and neither am I."

 

%%%%%%%%%%

 

_The block party had been going on since early that morning, and at this point the adults were pretty well lit. The kids were running around under benevolent, if careless eyes, and it was easy for Eric, Vince, and Turtle to sneak back into the house without being noticed. There was cake left and Mrs. Chase had already said no to third helpings, but if they were really careful, nobody would know if they grabbed another piece._

_Vince went first, tipping through the kitchen door. He stopped abruptly and Eric ran into his back. Something about the stillness of Vince's body kept him quiet as he peered over Vince's shoulder. At first he didn't understand what was going on. His mom was leaning back against the kitchen counter and Vince's dad was leaning over her._

_Eric saw their arms wrapped around each other but he still didn't get that they were kissing until they pulled apart. He didn't know if one of them made some kind of noise or if it was just instinct, but his mom glanced over. When she saw them her eyes widened and her face went red. She covered her mouth with her hands. Mr. Chase looked in their direction too, and his expression caused Eric to step back. He hadn't realized he was clutching Vince's t-shirt until Vince moved with him. Vince was watching both of them, face pale and blank._

_"What the hell are you kids doing in here!"_

_"Don't talk to them that way!"_

_"Don't tell me ..."_

_"What's going on?"_

_The commotion brought several people from the rest of the house, including Eric's dad who took in the scene with a grim frown._

_After that, there was a lot of shouting and crying in Eric's house, and then there was silence, which was worse. His parents eventually got divorced. They sold the house and he and his mom and Katie moved into an apartment. Unfortunately it was in the same school district and Eric still had to see Vince every day. He heard Mr. and Mrs. Chase separated for a while but then Mr. Chase got to move back home, which made Eric hate the Chases even more._

 

%%%%%%%%%%

Eric looked at his watch. It was nearly seven PM, and there was nothing on his desk that couldn't wait until tomorrow. He grabbed his jacket and briefcase, pulling up short as he stepped into the outer office. Vince was waiting in the outer office, flicking through a magazine when Eric stepped out of his office. He stopped, a flood of emotions washing over him at the sight of Vince's long-limbed sprawl. Vince looked up, flashing the sly, sexy grin that had Hollywood declaring him the next 'It' boy. He wasn't sure what Vince saw on _his_ face, but the grin dropped away and Vince stood up, magazine falling unheeded at his feet.

Eric was conscious that Molly, the evening receptionist, was eyeing them curiously, and he knew this would probably be the top water cooler story in the morning.

"Hi."

Vince ignored the greeting. "You really weren't going to call me, were you? I mean, I figured maybe three-day rule, but nothing?"

He looked so appalled that Eric went from embarrassed and a little ashamed to incredibly amused in an instant. He cracked up, and the disgruntled look that generated only made him laugh harder. It was only when genuine hurt flashed across Vince's face and he turned to go that Eric sobered. He ignored the 'you should be ashamed of yourself!' look that Molly shot him and reached out and grabbed Vince's arm. Eric didn't ask himself what he was doing or why after years of deliberately trying to hurt Vince, it was the last thing he wanted now. "Hey, wait. I'm sorry. I meant to call; I just got busy at work and didn't have a chance. Look, let me take you to dinner."

Vince shrugged, expression carefully blank, but he didn't pull away, and let Eric lead him out to the car. They both studiously ignored the curious looks coming from people that were either nosy about Eric's private life, recognized Vince, or both.

 

%%%%%%%%%%

Vince attracted attention, of course, but there were enough celebrities in New York that a few pictures and autographs outside the restaurant were the only result. That, a great table and a very attentive waitress, but Eric figured that last one had more to do with Vince's looks than his fame.

Vince leaned over the table, brow furrowed with a small frown. "You _weren't_ going to call me, were you?"

He still seemed so baffled that it set Eric off again. "Really. Nobody has ever blown you off before, have they?"

Vince pouted. "It's not funny."

"It's a little funny."

Vince picked up a fry and flicked it at him.

"Hey!"

"You keep being a little bitch and you're not getting a blow-job."

Eric's stomach clenched, a wave of heat washing over him. His eyes dropped to Vince's mouth and he was instantly back in his apartment, pressed up against the door with Vince on his knees in front of him, swallowing him down.

He wasn't really sure what he was doing but he couldn't deny that a part of him was happy that Vince had shown up. A tiny voice that sounded suspiciously like Turtle told him to stop thinking so much and just enjoy himself.

 

%%%%%%%%%%

"You said you were going to be in town for a while?"

"Yeah. I'm a little home-sick, you know?" Vince shrugged. "Shooting starts next month, so I'm taking a break till then. Ari is losing his shit, of course, because he wants me getting my face out there, but I'll have enough of that shit after the movie comes out."

Eric didn't know where the impulsive offer came from; he sure as hell wasn't thinking before he spoke. "Hey, you could stay here if you want, use my car."

Vince frowned and Eric was already cursing himself for an idiot. "Look, it's cool. I'm sure you have a lot of stuff to do while you're here, and the hotel is right there in the middle of everything. "

"No, I want to, I just don't drive."

Eric felt something tight in his chest loosen. "How do you get around LA?"

Vince shrugged. "The studio sends a car, and you know, there's always somebody who'll give you a ride."

Eric looked at Vince, still flushed pink from the shower, towel draped loosely around slim hips, smelling like Eric's soap and looking like nothing but sex. "I'll bet."

Vince gave him a wicked grin that said he knew just what Eric was thinking. Unfortunately, Eric didn't have time to indulge, except that Vince got up and came around the table, dropping the towel along the way, and well, really, what was the point of being the boss if you couldn't be a little late once in a while?

%%%%%%%%%%

Eric ran his hand down Vince's back, fingers trailing over soft, sweat damp skin. Vince shivered under his hand. "So why Matterhorn if you liked this Queen's Boulevard thing so much better?"

"Ari thinks it's good to position myself as an action guy. You know, mix it up."

"What do you want?"

Vince shrugged. "I just want to act. The rest of it, the money, the parties, cars, houses and shit, I'm not going to say it's not fun, but it's just gravy."

"Tell Ari that."

Vince rolled over on his back, propping himself up on one elbow. "Ari's like a super-agent. I couldn't even get him to talk to me a few years ago. Then Johnny got that part on Y&R. A few months later, they want a brother for his character and you know Johnny." He drops into a pretty good imitation of his brother's deeper tones. 'I've got a baby brother who’s an actor and he's almost as good-looking as me.' Mrs. Ari used to work on the soap before she got married. Kendall Ryan."

"Oh yeah, she was hot."

Vince grinned at him.

"What? Don't look at me like that. Ma watches, I used to see it in the summer sometimes."

"So, I mean it really is like seventy-five percent who you know in Hollywood. She's still friends with some of the cast, we met a couple of times, and she got me in to see him. There's no way I'd be where I am if it wasn't for him."

"I get that, I just think if they'll give you a million for this, they'll give you a million for something you love." He shrugged. "Don't listen to me, though, I don't know anything about this shit."

Vince shrugged. "I like listening to you. When you talk about it, it's just about _me_ , you know? Besides, it's your fault I'm an actor anyway."

%%%%%%%%%%

_Eric saw his chance and ran past Vince, bumping into him hard enough to knock him down. He stopped, bending down to help him up, which was a nice cover for the 'Coach, I swear it was an accident' line he was planning on using. Vince ignored his hand, looking up at him with a frown and angry eyes._

_"Aw, did you get hurt? Maybe this isn't your game."_

_"Yeah, well I'm not the one who can't even see the top of the basket."_

_Eric practically growled at that, yanking Vince up by his collar. He might be small but he was wiry, and even though Vince had shot up several inches over the summer, he was as skinny as ever. "Look, pretty boy, stick with acting. Out here you might mess up that face." He shoved Vince away from him and got back into the game, ignoring the way Vince stood there staring at him intently until the coach came over to check on him._

%%%%%%%%%%

 

"I didn't know you remembered that."

"I remember everything about you."  
Eric ignored the way his heart flipped at that. He flicked Vince on the nose. "Yeah, well you're still a pretty boy."  
Vince grinned and preened just a little. "Damn straight!" He started to absently fondle Eric's chest, hand sliding lower and lower until Eric grabbed his wrist.  
"Uh huh. We have reservations for six. If we get started we'll be ordering in again.

Vince pouted then leaned over and kissed him, and Eric sighed. Looked like they'd be contributing a little more to the delivery driver's college fund. He'd think Vince was trying to avoid being seen in public with him if they hadn't been out for breakfast--which had led to them wrapping everything up and coming back for a quickie before Eric headed to work. The truth was, neither of them had the desire to be anywhere except wrapped around each other.

Eric had to keep reminding himself this was all temporary, but he'd forgotten how nice it was, being with someone for more than just a one night stand, which was all he'd really managed over the past few years.

%%%%%%%%%%

Eric watched Vince stuff the last of his clothes in his suitcase and do a quick check of the bathroom before zipping his duffle bag. "Do you want a ride to the airport?" He found himself speaking barely above a whisper, which was crazy since they were both awake anyway. Something about the moment, though, seemed to call for quiet.

 

Vince smiled at him. "No. I mean, yeah, but it's not a good idea. Shauna arranged a car. Besides it's like the crack-ass of dawn. You should go back to sleep." His voice was soft as well and slightly wistful.

"Right. Okay." And Eric told himself he wasn't disappointed. He hated going to the airport anyway. "Have a safe trip."

"Thanks." Vince leaned down and kissed him, one hand cupping his face. Soft, sweet pecks over and over again until the snooze buzzed. He pulled back reluctantly.

"I gotta go." He grinned suddenly. " _I_ will call you this time."

After he left Eric lay there, not even pretending he was going to go back to sleep. It had only been a little over a week but already the bed felt empty without Vince's long frame taking up his half and most of Eric's too. He rolled over and pulled the pillow Vince had used to him, burying his nose in the soft cotton. It smelled like Vince had smelled all week, a combination of Eric's products and his own, and something inherently _Vince_. A scent Eric had never forgotten no matter how hard he'd tried. He didn't know what the hell he had been doing. Inviting Vince to stay with him, playing house, getting attached. A wild fling was one thing, and maybe, if they'e stayed friends, things would have been different, but treating this week like it meant anything was crazy. Someday he'd have a great cocktail party story--much abridged of course--but Eric was pretty sure he'd never hear from Vince again.

 

%%%%%%%%%%

 

An hour later he got a text.

*stuck in traf. bored 2 death. car's hot tho. really need 2 fuck you in 1*

He smiled so much the rest of the day that Molly asked if he was feeling alright.

%%%%%%%%%%

 

Somehow they wound up talking on the phone a couple of times a week and texting several times a day. Vince had already started filming, and it turned out there was a lot more sitting around doing nothing on movie sets than Eric thought and Vince was easily bored. Eric tried not to think about who entertained him before Eric did, or who still did when Eric couldn't answer. Most of what they exchanged was casual, what are you doing stuff, stupid co-worker tricks and the like. Those times, Eric had his friend back and then sometimes it was the kind of thing that had Eric squirming in his seat during a meeting, praying no one noticed his hard-on and had him up on sexual harassment charges. He felt like he was in high school again, only it was his laptop case he had pressed in front of his crotch rather than his books as they walked out.

Eric was still surprised to find Vince once again claiming squatter's rights on his sofa when he stepped out of his office to check with Molly about something.

"What are you doing here?"

"Noah's building his ark in Los Angeles -- everything is water logged. Michael Bay is losing his shit and ordered everybody off the set for the weekend. "

"I thought it never rained in Southern California?"

Vince grinned and shrugged. "Maybe I have magic powers."

Looking at Vince--dressed simply in jeans and a black t-shirt--and still more beautiful than anything Eric had ever seen, he could believe the Gods would make it rain if Vince asked them to. "Why didn't you call? I could have been out of here an hour ago."

"Nah, me and Molly were keeping each other company, right, Mol?"

Molly blushed, giggled and nodded and Eric couldn't help but roll his eyes a little. He knew for a fact that Molly had grandchildren their age. He didn't think there was anything with a pulse that could resist Vince when he put his mind to it.

"I hope you don't mind if I steal him, Molly?"

"Nope and it's about time you got of here at a decent hour. You just keep popping in, Vince. You're good for him."

 

Vince grinned at her. "It's mutual." And Eric had to resist the urge to pull him in for a kiss right there.

"Okay, give me two minutes, and then I'm all yours." Eric had a feeling there was more truth in those words than he wanted there to be.

%%%%%%%%%%

Eric hadn't been over to Turtle and Carla's for dinner in a couple of months, and he got an earful about it when Carla opened the door--after she took the beer and wine he brought but before he got a long hug.

"He's in the den. Dinner in fifteen, so don't let him sucker you into starting a game of Madden."

Eric promised he wouldn't and headed into the other room. Turtle paused the game when he came in and stood up. Eric wasn't expecting the hard punch to the arm.

"You fucker!"

"Ow! Shit, that hurt,Turtle, man what's up?"

"What's up is you and Vince have been fucking around since the reunion and you didn't bother to tell me!"

Eric ran a hand along the back of his neck, his expression sheepish. "Oh, yeah."

"Yeah." Turtle was full out pouting now and Eric winced.

"I'm sorry. I suck, okay."

Turtle scrunched up his face. "So I've heard." There was a beat and then they were both giggling like they'd taken a few hits. 

%%%%%%%%%%

"You should come to Vegas this weekend." Vince never started a conversation with hello, just always jumped in like they'd just left off.

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Vince."

"No, look, Shauna set it up for me to be at the opening of this new club. They're paying for everything, including a four-room suite. You and Turtle and Carla come down. Nobody's gonna think anything about it."

Eric hesitated. He knew Vince was probably right, and Turtle and Carla would probably appreciate the mini vacation. Still, he was more paranoid than Vince was that somebody would catch wind of their 'thing'--the thing that was rapidly turning into something else--and it would be over before they could decide what that new something was.

"Hey, it's cool if you don't want to come. You just, you said you felt bad that I was the one doing all the traveling so I thought...never mind, some other time."

Vince was a good actor, but he wasn't even trying to hide the disappointment in his voice. Eric realized he was in trouble when it made him feel the same way he did when he disappointed his daughter. "No, I want to come. It sounds like fun. I have to bring some work though, if that's okay?"

"Yeah, no it's fine. I mean technically, this is work for me too. You're really coming?"

"Yeah. I just need to get Turtle and Carla on board."

There was silence on the line for a few seconds. "I um, already asked them."

Eric couldn't help but laugh. He didn't know what was worse, that Vince thought he had Eric wrapped around his finger or that he actually did.

Vince hadn't made it in yet, but he'd set it up so they had access to the room. The suite was huge--white on white, with huge windows. The warm sunlight streaming in helped counter the iciness the almost soundless a/c unit brought to the rooms. Turtle and Carla claimed the bedroom furthest from Vince's and Eric dumped his bags in the one next to the master suite. He was unpacking when he heard the door open and Turtle and Carla greeting Vince. Eric kept hanging up his clothes. Vince wouldn't have any trouble finding him, and the greeting he wanted to give him was better done in private anyway. Vince came into the bedroom, and Eric waited until he heard the door close before he turned around and grinned. "Nice place."

Vince nodded and stalked toward him, and Eric barely had time to toss the shirt he was holding on the chair before he was tackled backward on the bed.

"Wait!" Even as he said it, he pulled Vince in, burying his nose in the hollow of Vince's neck and savoring the feel of being surrounded by him again.

"Nope. Turtle and Carla have gone down to try their luck at the tables, the club doesn't need me till ten PM, and I haven't seen you in three weeks. "

At some point, he realized he and Vince were dating or something like it. Something that involved Vince flying to New York when he got the chance and Eric taking a rare long weekend and going out to LA. Something that involved lots of phone sex and texting and drifting off to sleep with Vince on the other end of the line.

 

%%%%%%%%%%

Eric jolted awake to the ring of the phone. He glanced at his clock even as he fumbled for the phone, answering instinctively. Four AM phone calls rarely meant anything good. "Hello?"

"Eric Murphy?"

"Yeah." He didn't recognize the voice, which made him worry a little more.

"You motherfucker!"

"What?" He glanced at the caller ID then, noting the Los Angeles area code. Some ex of Vince's maybe? "Who is this?" Whoever he was, he was clearly drunk off his ass, if the slurred obscenities were anything to go by.

"Ari fucking Gold, fucker!"

"Wait...Vince's Ari?"

"When I told Vince he could be the next Tom Cruise or Will Smith, I didn't mean the fucking Queer as Folk part."

Eric sat up, rubbing a hand over his face. It was way too early in the morning for this shit. "Look..."

"No you look. You're ruining that boy's career. You think he's going to still be getting million dollar parts after six months in New York with your cock up his ass?"

Eric heard thumps in the background and the sound of glass clinking.

"He couldn't fall for some easily bought off twink, or better yet some power gay sugar daddy in LA, which God knows is full of them. No, he had to go to his fucking reunion and fall on your magical leprechaun cock. A fucking pizza boy..."

And really, that was it. "I don't give a fuck who you are, you fucking talk to me like that again and I will fly out there and fuck you up!" He clicked the phone off and took a deep breath to calm himself. So apparently Vince's agent was a lunatic--dedicated to Vince, which was great but nuts, which wasn't. Eric hoped he never had the misfortune of meeting Gold in person.

He wanted to call Vince, and not just because this Ari was his guy. He'd found that more and more, Vince was the first person he wanted to talk to about shit that happened, good, bad, whatever. His finger hovered over the speed dial. It was only twelve-thirty in LA and Vince was probably still up, but the stuff Gold said had hit a nerve, and Eric needed to think. He put the phone down and got up. He wasn't getting anymore sleep tonight.

%%%%%%%%%%

"I got drunk called by your agent last night."

"Seriously? Fuck! I'm sorry, E. What did he say?"

Eric sighed. This morning after two cups of coffee and a lot of telling himself to suck it up, things had seemed clearer. The way it made him feel to hear Vince's voice, he knew they weren't. "He said I'm ruining your career. I don't want to do that, Vince."

"You're not. I swear you're not. Ari is pissed because I accepted a part in an indie. The one I told you about, Queen's Boulevard. The pay is shit but the director, Billy Walsh, is fantastic. "

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Plus we're shooting in New York--we start next month."

Eric felt his stomach drop, the bitter coffee suddenly backing up into his throat. "Vince, you didn't take it just because of that?"

"No. I really love it, E. It doesn't hurt that I'll be home for a month and a half though."

"I wish...Kit's back and I can't really..." It was bad, how much he wanted Vince to stay with him. "I've never even had anybody stay over when she was here."

"It's cool, E. They did manage to spring for a hotel room, even if it's not the Plaza. I'd like to meet her though, if it's okay."

Eric took a deep breath. "Yeah, that's okay. That's great."

"Okay."

There was knocking and noise in the background, and someone called Vince's name.

"Where are you?"

"Photo shoot. The photographer has already asked me to come to Europe with him. Twice."

"What?"

"He thinks I'm gorgeous."

"You know you're gorgeous, Vince."

"Maybe I just like to hear you say it."

The knocking increased, and the voice calling Vince got louder and more frantic.

"Shit! I have to go. I'll call you tonight. And I'll talk to Ari."

He was gone and Eric sat for a while, holding his phone and thinking about Kit and Vince. He was still smiling hours later when he headed home.

%%%%%%%%%%

Eric figured the safest thing was for them to go out to dinner. Everybody would be forced to be on their best behavior. Turtle and Carla were glad to come along so it was Vincent Chase out with friends and their kid and not Vincent Chase out with a man and a child--the former was cute, the latter raised eyebrows. Eric felt bad imposing on their friends so much but Carla told him it was the most they'd gone out in years and she was loving it. Turtle just rolled his eyes and told him not to be an ass.

Eric shouldn't have worried. Vincent was at his most charming and Kit was enough like her father that she spent the night enthralled with him. She'd been eager to spend the night with Turtle and Carla earlier, but she balked when the time came because she didn't want to leave Vince. He'd promised to see her the next day before Eric could stop him and that got her into the car quietly, though Eric could still hear her sniffing slightly when he leaned in to kiss her good bye. Kit wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and whispered loudly in the way that kids did, how much she liked Vince.

He and Vince stood and watched the car pull away, with Kit waving at them through the back window. "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to. Come on, she's awesome."

"Am I gonna have competition for your affection?" And he was joking really, even though Vince grinned and said,"Well, she did love that Benji movie I did."

Over the next few weeks, Vince and Kit formed a mutual admiration society only interrupted by work and school. Eric was two parts pleased and one part worried because he'd never let anybody this far into his life since he'd had Kit and if--when he and Vince parted ways, he knew he wasn't going to be the only one broken-hearted. And he should stop things now, but he couldn't look at either of them in the face and do that.

%%%%%%%%%%

The auditorium was on its feet, claps, whistles and cheers bringing grins to all the girls' faces as they took their bows. Eric wasn't ashamed that his eyes were moist as he watched Kit curtsy again. A delivery man with an arm full of flowers stepped from behind the curtains and Eric took a moment to wish he'd thought to get a bouquet for his girl. He patted the box in his pocket with the silver ballerina charm bracelet. Kit would be happy, anyway but still it would have been nice.The delivery man was handing a few flowers from his load to each girl, and Eric wondered if the school had arranged the flowers. At least until all the girls had flowers except for Kit and the man still had an armload which he presented to her with a bow and handed her a card then scurried off the stage. Kit was beaming and waving in his direction.

His mother leaned over to him. "Ah sweetie, did you do that?"

"Nope, but I think I know who did."

Kit was still bouncing when they went back-stage. She launched herself at him and he lifted her off the ground into a hug. Her small body felt fragile in his arms even though she was growing fast and it seemed like she'd get Alli's height, which meant someday his baby would be taller then he was. Eric squeezed a little tighter for a moment before Kit started to wriggle to get down.

"Was I good, Daddy?"

Eric kissed both cheeks. "You were brilliant!" He sat her down and she grabbed his hand.

"Come on, come see my flowers.They're from Vince!" Kit handed him the bundle,which had been carefully stripped of thorns, and the card.The card was pink and gold with ballet shoes on one side and Vince's broad scrawl carefully lettered on the other--'To my favorite leading lady, congratulations!--Love,Vince'.

Eric felt the last bits of whatever resistance he'd been trying to maintain against Vince crumble.

"He's coming back Saturday, right, Daddy?"

Eric nodded. "Yeah."

"Can we pick him up?"

"Kit."

Kit sighed softly. "I know. We're his secret friends, cause he's famous." Kit looked down at her flowers, and then she beckoned Eric down and whispered in his ear. "I miss him."

"Me too, baby."

%%%%%%%%%%

Alli drew him into a long kiss, then a tight hug that had Eric wishing as always that things could have worked out for them. All the parts he missed about being married were the Allison parts--the Allison and Eric parts and the Eric parts, who he was when they were together, those sucked, but the her parts had been great. They still got together at least once for lunch or dinner, just the two of them, when she was in town. People that knew them thought it was weird that they got along so well, but Eric was grateful. It meant that working things out about Kit was usually easy, and it meant that Kit never got caught up in the middle of the kind of drama he'd seen other people put their kids through--the kind he and Kate had gone through.

Alli leaned forward, tucking a strand of dark, curly hair behind her ear, hazel eyes sparkling. "So, Kit tells me that Daddy has a secret boyfriend. Spill!"

Eric flushed and Alli giggled. "Oh my God! Look at you."

"Shut up! It's just a thing, all right?"

"A thing that makes you blush like a twelve-year-old. I have to meet this mystery man now."

"That's not exactly easy. He works out of town."

Allison shrugged. "Okay, then next time I come in."

"Al, it's sort of complicated."

"He's not married, is he? Tell me he's not married, E."

"He's _not_ married. He's sort of famous. And in the closet."

Alli stared at him in horrified fascination for a few seconds before practically shrieking. "Oh. My. God. It's Vincent Chase!"

Eric winced half from what she said and half from the shrill tone echoing in his ear. "Shh! Not so loud. And how do you even know that?"

"It is? Shit, E. I was joking. Or, well, not joking but wild guessing? Kate told me about the thing between the two of you a long time ago, but wow."

"What thing?" Eric knew his flush had returned. He hastily took a swallow of wine, almost choking in his attempt to look nonchalant. He was going to smack Kate the next time he saw her.

Alli rolled her eyes. "The molten layers of unresolved sexual tension, or how did she put it? The way you looked like you wanted to either kill each other or bone each other every-time the two of you were in the same room together." She shook her head and took a couple of long swallows of her wine. "Okay, I definitely want all the details now."

%%%%%%%%%%

It was a little weird, watching the Independent Spirit awards after avoiding all things Hollywood for so many years to make sure he didn't see Vince. But Eric promised Vince he and Kit would watch, though he wound up covering Kit's ears for a lot of the speeches. He would have watched anyway though. Vince had been glorious in Queen's Boulevard and he deserved to win. It was only a shame the Academy hadn't paid as much attention.

Watching Vince's face light up when his name was called, all Eric could think about was how much he wanted to be there, and that was the problem. He wasn't ever going to be able to sit next to Vince at an awards show, never going to be able to lean over and kiss him and celebrate his win--not if Vince was going to have the kind of career that his face and his talent meant he was destined for.

"So I've been thinking. They're doing a revival of **Guys and Dolls**. Off Broadway. The directors a friend of a friend and he's pretty much said if I want it, Sky Masterson is mine. The initial run is six months. "

Eric wasn't sure what to say. "That's...do you want it?" His heart thumped loudly in his own ears as he waited for Vince's answer.

"I miss New York. I miss my family. I miss you, E."

"Vince."

Vince gave him a half smile and a shrug. "I'm kind of gone over you, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Don't do this. I don't want to live my life in secret, and you have to."

"I could..."

"What, come out? Ruin your career; break your mother's heart?"

"Her heart mended a long time ago. Besides, it doesn't have to be ruined. If the show goes well, I get a chance to act. I can do theater. They don't care so much out here."

Eric ran a hand over his face in frustration. "It's not that easy, Vince."

Vince shrugged, leaning back against the pillows and throwing his legs over the arm of the sofa. "It's exactly as easy or as hard as you let it be." His voice sounded casual, but he wouldn't meet Eric's eyes.

"Do you really believe that?"

"It'll be okay."

And all Eric could do was lean down and kiss him, close his eyes and wish that it was true.

It would have been easier if Vince was as self-absorbed and selfish as people thought actors were. He'd have been the one to make the move, but Eric realized that he wouldn't. Eric didn't bother with the 'we can still be friends' speech. He knew that was a lie. As much as he loved having Vince's friendship, he couldn't imagine a day he could be around him and not want to kiss him, not want to _have_ him.

And yeah, he did it over the phone like a fucking coward but he couldn't look at Vince and do it. No matter how strong Eric thought he was, he knew he wouldn't be able to get the words out. He didn't _want_ Vince to argue, really he didn't, but the quiet 'fuck you' and click of the phone still stung like the cut of a knife. Eric would have liked to shut down, hide out in work and lick his wounds but that wasn't an option, since everybody from Turtle to Alli had something to say about his stupidity and since he had to explain to Kit why they wouldn't be seeing Vince anymore. The fact that Vince still texted her and sent her funny postcards in the mail addressed specifically to her only made things harder. Eric only wished again that Vince could be an asshole. It would make things a lot easier.

%%%%%%%%%%

 

"Eric I didn't raise any stupid kids and I'd appreciate it if you stop making it look like I did."

Eric could only be glad she waited until he was helping her do the dishes before she lit into him. "Ma!"  
"Don't 'Ma', me. You're miserable and I'm guessing Vince probably is too. Is that what you want?"

Eric sighed and put the last of the dishes in the cabinet. "I want him to have what he deserves."

"Call me biased, but there's nothing better than you and Kit, and from what I've heard, he believes that. Why can't you?"  
"I don't get why this doesn't bother you. I mean, it's the Chases."

"I don't care that he's a Chase, Eric. What happened back then, your father and me, that was the result of more than just one bad decision. Besides, I'm a grown woman. I'm just as much to blame as Sean Chase is. You're the only one still holding on to that." She patted him on the shoulder. "Nothing used to get you as riled up as Vincent. I finally figured it out, when you started dating boys. I thought you had too."

Eric shook his head, wondering how everyone in the world apparently had seen it but him. "No, but I've been told I'm apparently a little thick."

His mother laughed. "Vincent? I always liked that boy. I assume I will be seeing him soon?"

"I didn't mean..." he trailed off, not sure what he had planned on saying. He didn't mean to fall for Vince? Of course he didn't. It didn't feel like it had ever been a choice, though.

"The heart wants what it wants." His mother shrugged. "I'm not going to lie to you, baby. Do I wish he wasn't a movie star that lived three thousand miles away? Yeah. Do I wish he was a nice Catholic girl who was going to give me a house full of grandchildren? Yeah. But you already tried that, and it didn't make you happy." She wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him into a half hug, her forehead meeting his as she'd done so often when he was a little boy. "If you're not happy, I'm not happy."

And he was. Happier than he'd been in a long time. Or he had been until he fucked everything up so badly. But he was going to fix it. He had to, or it'd be a question of which one of his loved ones killed him first.

%%%%%%%%%%

"Ma, can you watch Kit for a few days next week?" Eric flinched and pulled the phone away from his ear as his mother let out a loud shriek of joy. And then she forced him to tell her exactly what he planned to say, to make sure he didn't 'put his foot in his mouth and make things worse'. By the time Eric got off the phone he felt like he'd spent an hour with a drill sergeant.

Eric gave himself three days to get everything wrapped up. Now that he'd decided he was going to go to California, every one of those days felt like a year. He didn't say anything to Turtle or Alli and he especially didn't tell Kit anything. There was tiny part of him that thought he might have messed things up for good though if Vince had managed to love him through fifteen years of being an asshole, he hoped another month wouldn't be the deal breaker.

He had no choice but to tell Molly though and the hug and the 'about damn time!' he got were a far cry from the frowns he'd been getting over the past few weeks.

%%%%%%%%%%

Eric didn't feel guilty about taking the time off from work--he'd earned it over the past five years. He did worry about was his reception once he got to California. He knew he should call first, but that tiny part of him insisted face to face was better. The problem was, he didn't know where Vince was or when he'd be home. He'd only been to the hotel Vince lived in a couple of times, once for a dinner party and once at the end of a 'boys' night'. If he stayed after everybody else left both times and 'crashed on Vince's couch' well, it only made sense as the out-of-town friend. That meant that the hotel staff didn't recognize him, though, and without express permission from Vince, he wasn't getting in. Eric was glad Vince had security but he wasn't leaving and the desk clerk had started giving him the stink-eye about half an hour ago.

He finally went and stood outside, hoping he didn't look like he was casing the place. When it started raining, he just sighed. It was honestly no more than he deserved for being an idiot. Eric leaned against the wall under the overhang, but he was still getting damp from the mist blowing his way, and it was another hour before Vince showed up, getting out of the taxi that pulled up with wide eyes.

"Eric?"

"I think the concierge thinks I'm a crazy stalker."

"He might be right about the crazy part. You're soaking wet." Vince grabbed his arm and pulled him inside past the front desk and the clerk whose disdainful look never changed.

Eric shrugged, shivering a little as they walked into the air conditioned room. "I guess this time, I'm the one with the magic rain making powers."

"What are you doing here?"

"Trying to stop being a dumb-ass and some kind of martyr."

Vince handed him a towel. "Turtle?"

"My mom, actually."

Vince laughed. "Your family is just full of awesome women."

"Yeah. I'm lucky like that. But keep your lips to yourself around them."

"Don't worry. There's just one Murphy I'm interested in kissing."

"Good."

"Yeah, Kit gives the best kisses ever."

"You're a funny guy."

Vince leaned back against the counter, watching him with a half smile. "I like to think so."

Eric rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "So uh, apparently I've been in love with you for a while."

 

"Uh-huh."

"And I might have been kind of an ass because of it."

"Might?" Vince's tone was serious, but Eric could see him fighting back another smile. Some actor.

"Okay, so I definitely was an ass."

"Hmm. So I might let you make it up to me."

Eric cocked a brow, fighting his own smile. "Might?"

Vince straightened up and pulled Eric into his arms, leaning down and kissing him. "Definitely."

Eric sighed and clung to Vince, damp clothes and all, savoring the feel of Vince's lean body against his.

"You're an idiot. You know that, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how I've been in love with you my whole life and how you've been in love with me too, even if you won't admit it."

Eric had always prided himself of knowing exactly who he was, but the truth was, he hadn't known anything. He shook his head in disbelief at his own blindness, but Vince thought he was denying it.

"Come on, E. Your ex-wife could be my twin."

"Yeah. Yeah, I know. It was just easier to be mad at you than to want the things I wanted, you know? Alli had the misfortune to stumble into my path before I was ready to face who I was. I loved her; I just wasn't ever in love with her. It was too close and not close enough to what I wanted at the same time. Fortunately, she's awesome and I didn't lose a friend."

"So when am I going to get to meet 'awesome Allison'?"

"That depends. On a scale of one to ten, how jealous of her are you?'

"Eleven."

Eric laughed. "Vince!"

Vince smirked at him before sobering. "Okay, I'm not going to lie and say I'm not a little bit jealous, but she's Kit's mom and she's your friend. She's an important part of your life so I'll get over it. I want to know her." Vince leaned in and kissed him. "I wasn't going to give up, you know. I already accepted the part in Guys and Dolls. I was gonna plant my gorgeous self in front of you constantly for the next six months until you gave in."

Eric grinned and bit softly at Vince's mouth, then laved the spot. "Well, I guess you'll just have to find something else to do with your gorgeous self."

Eric most of the time couldn't believe the unexpected turn his life had taken. He was swept away on a wave of happiness and wonder as he watched Vince and Kit bob around the room to the music blaring from the iPod speakers. They both grinned when they noticed him. On the next pass, Vince took Eric's hand and spun him around and then back, pulling Eric into his arms, then dipping him backwards. Kit was giggling and clapping her hands as she watched and Vince was singing softly in his ear. _"Well I used to think maybe you loved me, now baby I'm sure."_

 

%%%%%%%%%%

_One Blind Vice_

_Heartthrob Harry is an up-and-comer in Hollywood. Almost a legacy, one might say. So far, the gorgeous boy has wowed with his looks, but not so much with his acting. To be fair to HH, the studios haven't exactly put him in anything that required more than a pretty smile and a bat of those beautiful eyes._

_So Harry's foray onto the stage would seem like a move to make his people giddily happy. After all, if he _can_ act, they have that much more to work with. Instead, those in the know are freaking out in a major way. Seems that HH isn't just in New York to prove his acting chops. Apparently on a trip to the Big Apple, a place he used to call home, Harry was the one that got bitten -- by the love bug. And we don't mean Herbie._

_The only problem is that the mysterious magnet that has HH pulling up stakes; shares certain body parts with Harry. They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and Harry's not-so-new-friend; has an inside track that has HH inching out of the closet a little more every day._

_We'll be watching with eyes wide shut to see if HH has the balls Toothy and so many others don't._

_And it ain't Luke Evans, Jake Gyllenhall, Zach Efron_

__

**Author's Note:**

> I got so, so lucky. Not only did Subluxate create a beautiful mix for my story--digging magically into my head for just the right title,artwork and music, but she provided a beta when I didn't think I'd find one and was nothing but awesome during this whole process. Dirty Diana showed up like a beta Angel, reminding me that the best thing about the Entourage fandom was always the fen. Thank you guys both so much. Y'all are amazing.Any errors or issues remaining are entirely me. Thanks to Felicia as always for indulging me even in fandoms she could care less about.


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